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The Best Firefighter Workout?
This topic is near and dear to mine and your hearts and careers–Workouts for Firefighters and Fire Rescue Athletes. Over the last couple of months I’ve been researching, talking, tweaking and writing about some of the more popular workouts seen in firehouses across the world. You can read about them here and here or listen to a great radio interview about this topic HERE. I’ve received a ton of feedback about those articles both good and bad (please keep it coming) and used all of this information to create what I believe is one of the BEST Workouts for Firefighters-The Ultimate Fire Rescue Athlete. Why is it one of the best? Because it contains these five vital components that are essential for the Fire Rescue Athlete. Does your current program include these components? #1. The program must be planned using sound periodization and science (click here to read more). The program must be planned using sound periodization and science. Training should follow…
One of the best Exercises for Firefighters…
I recently completed a FREE report of the “10 Best Exercises for Firefighters.” You can get a copy of all 10 exercises for FREE by Clicking HERE Now. Here is one that made the list. The Side Plank- a great core exercise… 1. Plank(s) and variations of it. —It’s no surprise that the one of the exercises on this list is a core exercise. Back injuries are the number one reason firefighters and medics go on early disability so it’s imperative that as a fire rescue athlete you focus on strengthening the core. The plank exercise requires no equipment and is an incredible exercise for improving core strength, endurance, and power. As mention previously, core strength is integral for the fire rescue athlete, as all movement occurs around the core. The plank will increase core efficiency allowing the body to have greater control and stability. All fire rescue athletes should…
10 Simple Rules for Firefighter Fat Loss….(2016 Edition)
Would you agree that a leaner athlete is a better athlete? I know this is a “loaded” question. A lot of the answer has to deal with the sport in which the athlete is participating. One thing that research shows is that a leaner athlete is a “more efficient” athlete. When it comes to firefighters, this is a valid finding. Efficiency in general terms, describes the extent to which time, effort or cost is well used for the intended task or purpose. So, a more efficient Fire Rescue Athlete will be able to do more work with less physical effort. This is especially important since most of our “more intense” work as Fire Rescue Athletes comes when breathing air via an SCBA. The winter months can be a challenging time to keep your weight in check. Here are 10 (actually 11) great tips to help you get stronger and leaner in the…
Stop Exercising and Start Training to Get Fire Rescue Fit…
Before I worked as a firefighter, I was a trainer in both large and small health clubs. During that time I would see a lot of people exercising consistently and with intensity but only make a limited amount of fitness progress. Why? Because we are all creatures of habit in the gym and out. These “snail paced progress” gym goers were all doing the same thing… exercising, not training. And yes, their is a difference. What is Exercising? Exercise is physical activity performed for the effect it produces today — right now. Each workout is performed for the purpose of producing a stress that satisfies the immediate needs of the exerciser: burning some calories, “blow off steam,” relieve mental stress, pump up the biceps, etc. Exercise may well involve doing exactly the same thing every time you do it, as long as it accomplishes the task of making you feel like you…
Get Paid to Get Fire Rescue Fit in 2016!
Over $2,500 in cash and prizes will be given away to Firefighters, EMTs and Medics! YOU can Win and more importantly Motivate Others! Don’t wait, get your program and get started today! The purpose of the contest is to motivate Firefighters, EMTs and Medics to change the unhealthy culture of the fire service. Statistics show that the obesity rate in firefighters is higher than the general population. Sadly, firefighters are more likely to die from a heart attack or stroke than in a fire related incident. WE MUST CREATE a HEALTHY CULTURE IN THE FIRE SERVICE as lives, communities and our families are counting us! Take the “fit for duty” challenge, get others in your department involved and help change the fire service industry! See the complete entry instructions below. Deadline to submit your entry: April 15th, 2016 Good luck! Rules of the 2016 FRF “Fit for Duty” Challenge Contest Important Dates: The Contest officially starts on January 1st,…
Happy Holidays Firefighter Workout…
Happy Holidays- Yes that time of the year where we have a tendency to overindulge and workouts seem to take second place to the holiday rush. To combat the accumulation of holiday pounds I created this Fire Rescue Metabolic Workout.. This workout requires minimal time, maximal effort and will give you an extreme calorie burn (throughout the day). The workout is adoptable for various levels of fitness. Intermediate/ Advanced athletes should use weights that they can handle for 15 reps (even though you will only be performing 10 reps) while beginners will use body-weight for each exercise. Each rep should be performed with control (safety first) and good form. You must perform 2 circuits of the warm-up. After the warm-up follow the appropriate circuit (beginner or intermediate/ advanced) as quickly as possible. Your goal is to complete the entire circuit as quickly as possible. You can record your total time (of the metabolic circuit) so…
The Fire Rescue Fitness Body Weight 500 Workout
It can be very difficult to try to stay “fit for duty” on vacation, during the Holidays, or if you don’t have access to a lot of equipment. This workout will help you stay FRF (fire rescue fit) on vacation or when you are at a firehouse that doesn’t have any fitness equipment. I actually performed this workout a couple times on vacation in a small condo with only a towel and a little floor space. The objective of the workout is to complete all the assigned reps of each exercise for a total of 500 reps. **You can substitute out any of the exercises if you would like. Beginners can bounce around from exercise to exercise until all reps are completed. For a more challenging workout you should try to complete all the reps of one exercise before moving to the next. Perform a couple of minutes of active warm-up…
Firefighter Interval Workout- Burn fat with fireground movements…
One of the best ways to incorporate fireground movements into your workouts is to perform what I call “10-minute interval overhauls.” These are 10 minutes of intervals that can vary in work and rest times that are performed after your strength training sessions. You can read more about these “interval overhauls” by clicking here. Today, I finished workout #3 of the Ultimate Fire Rescue Athlete Program and created this 10 minute overhaul….three hours later I’m still sweating. These intervals should be performed to the best of your ability, feel free to substitute in other exercises that you feel more comfortable with (and let me know your creative ideas) or that mimic movements on the fireground (stairs, sledges, drags, crawls, pulls, etc). These overhauls help burn more fat and calories and as mentioned above are a great way to incorporate firefighter movements into your workout. Give this a one a…
Is CrossFit a Good Firefighter Workout Program?
I’ve worked in the fitness industry for over 20 years and have seen a lot of “fads” come and go. Not to age myself but when I started in the industry step classes, leotards and zubaz where still popular. Back in the day every health club focused on having the most updated machinery possible, today you see more minimalistic gyms pop up all the time. Along with these fads have come the “next” best workout program. I remember the day when everyone was “Jazzersizing” or “Sweating to the Oldies” or following the “Body for Life,” program. There were also the days of “Tae-bo”, “Spinning” and who could forget “Fitness made simple”? Some of these fitness fads have come and gone while others are still around. Today I wanted to talk about another fitness “fad” that has seemed to catch the attention of the firefighting and tactical communities. Yep, you guessed it….CrossFit. …